A. Your responsibilities as a Life Sciences student – Optom

Your responsibilities as a Life Sciences student

The Optometry degree programme opens the way for you to undertake training in, and hopefully to enter, a profession with high standards of conduct and behaviour. You are expected, as an undergraduate optometrist, to behave in an appropriate and responsible manner in preparation for this. It is important that all students should have the best possible learning experience throughout their course and that this should not be disrupted by fellow students. To ensure this happens,

we expect you to:

• Show consideration in your behaviour towards other students, and towards the University staff, including administrative, technical and academic staff and occasional lecturers.
• Participate fully in all timetabled practical teaching/examining sessions; taking part as patient, practitioner or active observer as appropriate.
• Ensure that you do not commit yourself to other activities (e.g. part-time work) which interfere with your ability to devote sufficient time to your studies. The maximum amount of part-time work recommended by the University is 15 hours per week, but you should consider carefully whether this will interfere with your studies. If possible try to obtain work which is flexible such that you can reduce your hours near to examination periods.
• Maintain good communications with the administration of your degree programme. This will be via the Student Support Office, your Personal Advisor and your Programme Director. In addition, you should check your email account on a daily basis. You should make sure that any change of address is notified promptly.
• Attend all labs, clinics and associated sessions; all are compulsory. If you are unable to attend, for instance because of illness, then you follow the appropriate notification procedures (See Section Guidelines on Ill Health).   You should arrive on time and remain within each session until told that you can leave. If you are unable to attend a clinical session you must leave a telephone voicemail message with the Optometry Clinic Reception as soon as possible.
• Attend lectures: this is the best way for you to understand the unit content and the context of the material you are expected to cover. Lecture notes only show a small part of the material, and the background explanations, being presented by the lecturer. Make use of the supplementary material available via Blackboard..
• Behave in lectures, labs, clinics, and in the learning support areas of the University in an appropriate manner. e.g. arriving on time, not talking in lectures, not using mobile phones or tablets to make calls, send texts/email, and use social media sites..
• Respect the general health and safety requirements that apply to all work in laboratories and clinics, and any additional advice given to you in relation to particular procedures. You should ensure that you wear clothing appropriate to the laboratory and/or clinic environment and maintain a high standard of personal hygiene and behaviour compatible with your future profession. When considering whether clothing is suitable for the clinic, it should be similar to that you would wear for a job interview.